South-Carolina
Smoke from North Carolina and South Carolina wildfires makes for hazy day in the Triangle
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — Smoke from the wildfires burning in North Carolina and South Carolina turned the skies hazy in the Triangle with the faint smell of smoke in the air.
At the American Tobacco Trail in Durham on Tuesday afternoon, plenty of people were out exercising or walking their dogs like any other afternoon. While health experts say that’s fine given the current air quality, it’s a good idea for people to monitor the air.
ABC11 spoke on Tuesday with Dr. David Beuther, a pulmonologist with National Jewish Health. He said that even with the scent of smoke present in parts of the viewing area, there are no major health effects for most people unless the air quality were to dip sharply. But he did caution people with asthma, COPD or heart disease to pay close attention to the quality of the air and the presence of smoke during the next few days since they would be most at risk for complications.
“When the air quality gets bad, generally, we want people with these conditions in the very young and the very old to stay inside,” Beuther said. “That means windows closed, you know, either central air circulating or air conditioning. Or if it’s warm, the idea is to keep those windows and doors closed and to keep that particulate pollution out. And if you have to go outside, limit that to a short duration.”
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Beuther said we haven’t come close to reaching those levels yet, so for now, there are no major health concerns even for people with those existing conditions. But when dealing with smoke, it’s important to stay aware of those effects and keep an N-95 mask handy as well, should the air quality dip.
Meanwhile, on the North Carolina-South Carolina border, fire crews out west made major progress on a wildfire burning in Polk County. The Melrose fire is 91% contained, though nearly 700 acres have been burned.
In South Carolina, our crew was there as an aerial chopper dumped water on the Carolina forest fire near Myrtle Beach.
The South Carolina Forestry Commission is investigating what sparked several wildfires in the state during the weekend, saying it’s believed the fires ignited because of someone doing backyard burning, not a prescribed burn.
WATCH | Powerful winds, dry conditions fuel Carolina wildfires
At least 175 fires burning across South and North Carolina have forced residents to evacuate in both states.
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HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — One person was critically injured in a motorcycle crash in the Longs area on Thursday afternoon, according to Horry County Fire Rescue (HCFR).
Just before 2:00 p.m., crews responded to the area of Old Highway 31 near Hidden River Road.
MORE: 1 critically injured in vehicle rollover near International Dr.
One person was transported to the hospital as a result of the motorcycle crash, HCFR said.
Officials ask that drivers avoid the area as lanes of traffic are currently blocked.
The incident is under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol with assistance from the Horry County Police Department.
Dawn Staley & Gamecocks on ‘rusty’ start in huge win over Southern U
Dawn Staley and Joyce Edwards on their ‘rusty’ start in their first game in two weeks that turned into a massive 69-point win NCAA tournament.
Sports Pulse
COLUMBIA, SC ― With the clock winding down and pressures of the Women’s NCAA Tournament rising, South Carolina senior guard Raven Johnson isn’t playing just to win. She plays in honor of a voice she can no longer hear – but that she still carries with her every time she steps onto the court.
That motivation was on full display Monday night, as the No. 1-seeded Gamecocks took down No. 9 USC to advance to the Sweet 16. Johnson earned her 1,000th career point ― what would prove to be her last point at Colonial Life Arena ― on a steal and fast-break layup that brought a roar from the crowd. The Gamecocks will face No. 4 Oklahoma Saturday in Sacramento, with another Elite Eight appearance on the line.
For Johnson, the moment symbolized something deeper – a career shaped by the memory of her late grandfather. Johnson’s family watched as she achieved the milestone, her mother, grandmother and twin brother. It was a full circle moment for a player whose journey took root in her grandparents’ home.
Her grandparents helped raise her and her twin brother, Richard Johnson. The family lived together and she often calls her grandmother “mother” and her grandfather “papa,” reflecting the impact they had on her upbringing.
“My grandparents did a really good job,” Johnson said. “We wouldn’t be playing sports if it wasn’t for them.”
The Boones introduced the twins to basketball through their church and spent countless hours training them, often pushing them past their limits. A sergeant first class in the Army Reserves, he supervised soldiers in his unit and brought that same discipline to his grandchildren on the court, being demanding, structured and determined.
“I remember being outside and he was training us and I thought it was so hard. I wanted to give up,” Johnson said. “I used to cry, and he would be like ‘You’re not going to cry in my face, and you’re not going to give up.’ It was little things like that that made me tough.”
The standard of grit, accountability and composure, is something Johnson carries today.
“She’s just a winner and she’s a great point guard,” said South Carolina senior guard Ta’Niya Latson, who also played with Johnson at Westlake High School in Atlanta. “When she’s confident, we’re confident. When she’s poised, we’re poised. It’s hard to have that type of personality and leadership on the court, but she carries it well.”
Rodrick Boone was diagnosed with stomach cancer in December 2012 and died in April 2013 while Johnson was at a tournament in New Orleans. She was 10 years old.
“I remember I shut down,” Johnson said. “My mind went blank. I was like ‘What?’ I thought he was untouchable.”
Months after her grandfather’s death, something shifted in her mindset.
“I think that’s my why,” Johnson said. “I keep going today because he is my why.”
As a child, Johnson didn’t even like basketball. She preferred T-ball and cheerleading and thought basketball wasn’t for girls, until she saw Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins and began to see herself differently.
“She was so pretty to me and I remember asking ‘Can I be girly and hoop?’” Johnson said.
She was the only girl on her recreational team, earning the nickname “Killer” for her defensive intensity alongside her brother, nicknamed “Thriller” for his offensive ability. The boys tested Johnson by playing physical and trying to push her out of the sport.
“I used to be cooking them out there a little bit, and I think they didn’t like that,” Johnson said.
She said the boys trying to make it hard on her actually made her tougher both physically and mentally.
Her grandmother, Connie Boone, said her grandfather would be proud of what Johnson has become.
“He might be crying but he would be happy about it,” her grandmother said. “You start them young, but you never know what the outcome is going to be.”
Johnson imagines the conversations she’d be having with her papa if he was still here.
“He would still be on my butt riding me, he’ll tell me maybe I need to fix something,” Johnson said. “He’ll be happy and I think he’ll be like ‘All right let’s get back to the drawing board. Let’s get ready for the next opponent.’”
She knows her papa is always watching, and she talks to him a lot at night.
“I just want to tell him that I’m going to keep pushing through even when it gets tough,” Johnson said. “He’s always telling me to push through because nobody cares. Nobody cares if you’re at your lowest, nobody cares.”
On Monday, fans chanted “Raven, Raven, Raven” as she walked off the court for the final time at Colonial Life Arena, Johnson’s moment was bigger than the scoreboard.
It was about diligence, progress and a promise kept.
With another game ahead and the possibility of a deeper tournament run, she isn’t finished. She continues to push and play for the voice that gave her a reason to begin.
Alyssia Hamilton is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
Rochester, N.Y. — An Orleans County man faces a peeping tom charge in South Carolina after a woman said he left an audio recording device in her home.
According to an incident report from the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office, an officer responded to the home Jan. 24 for a report of a possible peeping tom or voyeurism incident. The victim told the officer she had been in a relationship with Nicolas Vagg from May-October 2024 and said he traveled from New York to visit her in 2024.
The woman told the officer she found a small black rectangular device in her bedroom. She later determined it was a recording device. She said she connected the device to her phone and found audio recordings captured during her time with Vagg, as well as others from her interactions with another man after she and Vagg broke up.
Vagg, 32, of Albion turned himself in Tuesday, according to the report. He was charged with sex/ peeping tom, eavesdropping or peeping.
Georgetown County Detention Center records indicate Vagg was initially held on $2,000 bond and released later Tuesday.
The victim received a no-contact order of protection, according to the incident report. Vagg’s next court date is scheduled for May 28.
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